Topic: Does Nintendo Need A New Frontman or New Mascot?

To be quite honest I think that Mario is totally rad, Pit (Kid Icarus) is the bomb, Link completely owns and Donkey Kong is just plain classic.

However, as much as I love our heroes from the glorious 8-bit era it is hard to refrain from imagining how awesome it'd be if Nintendo introduced at lest one new character and corresponding franchise that would cause a massive shake up!

I'd love to see Nintendo introduce a new character that would be the star of a quirky franchise along the lines of Marvelous Misadventures of Flap Jack, The Addams Family, Adventure Time, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Tim Burton's surreal worlds or Rod Sterling classic "The Twilight Zone". Also, I think if be even better Nintendo were to do this that the character should a strong female protagonist funky goth style girl like Frida of the coolio "El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera" I don't think Nintendo or the video game industry gives female characters as much ump as they could. Plus when they do it's always in a bad way or sensual suggestive way as we've seen in stuff like Tomb Raider Lara Croft, Bayonetta or Heavenly Sword.

So what do you guys think?

No.

Erm...I don't much care for any of those cartoons, to be honest. They're kind of on the overly silly side.

So Introducing a new character like that wouldn't do anything for me.

But that's just my personal opinion.

why would they?

New games with new characters are always welcome, though.

Samus Aran, Metroid, 1987, 8bit era.

If they make a new character, let's make it original. Not an anime-inspired hilariously generic American character with design choices based purely on being 'cool' rather than actually thought-out (why is she wearing skull earmuffs and goggles like binoculars?)

Heh, i noticed you complained about videogames making sensual female characters just before you posted a "grown up" picture of your prime example.

@Raylax: Apparently that makes her 'goth', lol
_{oh how the things have changed since i was in school...}

To sum up, our answer is a resounding "No!"

@TokyoRed - Forgive me if I am misleading you a bit but it just seems to me like you have a strong craving to see young cutsey girls. Exhibit A - That big pic on top of the page.

The industry as a whole has been leaning away from female stereotypes. Especially the overly survey buxom variety. Even Lara Craft in her upcoming reboot is a grittier and more realistic woman. Nintendo has always done a good job at portraying their their lead woman in a respectable manner. The last thing they need is some cute gothy J-poppy little girl character.

Bright red miniskirt, blue hair, and those two soup bowls stuck to her head would suggest otherwise though

All they need is...

_{Muahahahaaa!!!}

That's not what I call sensual. That's just plain naughty, or hip in my opinion. A bad kind of sensual to me is like the busty Lara Croft I used to see back in the day in the Tomb Raider comics or like some of the drawings of Emma Frost on Google Images.

There is a difference between having a wholesome sexy girl like Taylor Swift and then having something that is outright messed up and unacceptable as in Sylvia Saint. Like the new movies Red Riding Hood and Sucker Punch that's like okay but a movie like Away We Go, Love, Sex and Other Drugs or American Pie is totally unacceptable. But lets not get off topic. Let stay focused on another Nintendo character.

Does Mc Donalds need a new mascot? Does Disney need a new mascot? What about Warner Bros? The thing is they all might need a new mascot but they arent going to get one. These are their well known symbols for their companies. Yeah I have heard of companies switching mascots and most of them it fails. The only except is Sega switching from Alex Kidd to Sonic the Hedgehog.

Mario is here to stay its what everyone associates with Nintendo just like everyone associated Ronald Mc Donald with Mc Donalds and Bugs Bunny with Warner Bros etc.

Wow. Projecting your moral hang-ups much?